Nut-lock.



S. B. CLINE.

NUT LOCK.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 12, 1915.

1,1 W313. Patented June 20,1916.

pair P nor-Loon.

Application filed October 12, 1915.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, STEVEN B. CLINE, acitizen of the United States, residing at Dexter, in the county ofDallas and State of Iowa, have invented new and useful 1m provements inNut-Locks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a nut lock, and in particular to a nut lockwhich will automatically lock the nut to the bolt on which it ismounted.

It is an object of this invention to construct a nut lock which may beapplied to a standard nut, which is simple in construction and positivein operation, and which will automatically unlock and release the nutfrom the bolt when a wrench is applied to the nut for either looseningor tightening the same.

Another object of my invention is to construct a nut provided with aslot in one side thereof, in which a lock member is mounted and which isadapted to engage a longitudinal slot longwise in the threaded end ofthe bolt. A spring member forces the lock member into engagement withthe slot in the bolt. One end of the lock member pro-- jects laterallyfrom the side of the nut. When a wrench is applied to said nut, theprojecting end of the lock member will be pushed inwardly against thetension of the spring member, thereby releasing the lock member from itsengagement with the bolt, and allowing the nut to'be turned in eitherdirection.

With these and other objects, a view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, my invention consists in the construction, andarrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification, Ihave illustrated a convenient and practical embodiment of my invention,and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the bolt to which the nut lock is to beapplied. Fig. 2 is a cross-section on line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is aperspective view of the nut lock, taken from a point above and to theleft thereof. Fig. 1 is a similar view taken from a point above and tothe right thereof. Fig. 5 is a horizontal cross-section of the nut lock.

taken on a plane passing through the bore in which the locking member ismounted. Figs. 6 and 7 are detailed views of the lock member and thespring member, respec- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 2d, 1916.

Serial No. 55,559.

threaded end is provided with a pair of longitudinal slots 11 disposedon diametrically opposlte sides thereof.

12 denotes a standard nut provided with a threaded central opening 13adapated to engage the threaded end of the bolt 10. In one of thelateral faces 1 of the nut, a hori- Zontal slot 15, rectangular incross-section, is provided. The length thereof extends from a pointadjacent to one of the vertical edges 16 of the nut to beyond the middleof the lateral face 14 in which said slot is located. A horizontal bore17 extends from the slot 15 to the opposite face 28. The bore 17, asclearly shown in Fig. 5, is disposed approximately midway between theadjacent face 29 and the central opening of the nut. A bore 19 of thesame diameter as the bore 17 extends from the slot 15 to the centralopening of the nut.

A lock member 20 preferably made of steel wire and consisting of a longleg 21, a cross-member 22, and a short leg 23 extending parallel and inthe same direction as long leg 21 is inserted in bores 17 and 19 in sucha way that the long leg will be disposed in the bore 17 and the shortleg in the bore 19. The long leg 21 is somewhat longer than the bore 17and the outer end thereof projects, as at 24, from the lateral face 28of the nut for a short distance. The short leg 23 projects through bore19 into the central opening of the nut. The lock member is placed inposition through the slot 15. In order to insure positiv engagement of ashort leg of a lock member with one of the longitudinal slots 11, 11, ofthe bolt, a spring member 25 is provided which is slightly bow-shapedand whose end engage slots 26, 26, provided in the vertical side wallsof the slot 15 at points intermediate the inner and outer ends of saidwalls. The convex face of the spring member 25 engages the cross-member22 of the locking member and tends to press the lock member against bolt10.

From the foregoing description, the operation of the nut lock will beeasily understood. lVhen the nut lock is mounted on the threaded end ofthe bolt and a wrench is applied to thenut, so that one jaw will engagethe face 28 from which the long leg 7 of the lock member projects, whilethe other jaw of the wrench will engage the face 14 of the nut in which,the slot 15 is located, the projecting end of the lock member will bepressed inwardly against the tension of the spring 25 and the short armof the lock member will be withdrawn from the central opening of thenut; .When in this position, the lock member is inoperative and willallow the nut to be turned on the bolt. Just as soon as the jaws of the'wrench are removed from the nut, the spring member 25 will force thelock member against the bolt.

It is only necessary to give the nut a onehalf rotation, or less, untilthe short leg of the lock member engages one or the other of thelongitudinal slots 11 0n the bolt, thereby positively and securelylocking the nut against rotation in either direction.

It is thus seen that I have devised a nut lock which will positivelyengage the bolt and prevent rotation of the nut.- But, as

soon as aswrench is applied, the lock member will automatically releasethe nut'from the1l'ocki'ng engagement with the bolt and allow therotation thereof in either direc- Ition. My nut lock is especiallyvaluable in connectionwith bolts which are subject to a great deal ofvibration and shock. V Itis obvious that I do not confine myself "to thespecific construction of the lock nut as. shown and described. Variouschanges therein may be made by those skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention as claimed.

I claim: I 1. A'nu't lock comprising a'bolt having a iv-threadedendprovided with'a plurality of longitudinal grooves extendingthe length thereof, a nut adapted to engage said threaded end, said nutbeing provided with a slot in one of its lateral faces, a horizontalbore extending from said slot to another lateral face of said nut, asecond bore extending from said slot to the central opening of said nut,a lock member movably from the second named lateral face of the nut, thefree end of the short leg extending into the central openmg in said nut,and a spring member mounted in said slot engaging the transverse memberof said lock member and pressing said lock member against said bolt.

2. A nut lock comprising a bolt having a threaded end provided with alongitudinal groove, a nut adapted to engage said end, said nut beingprovided with a slot in one of its lateral faces, a bore extending fromsaid slot to another lateral face of said nut, a secondbore extendingfrom said slot to the central opening of said nut, a lock membcr movablymounted in said bores and said slot, and adapted to engage the bolt withone end and projecting from said second named lateral face ofthe nutwith the other, and a spring member mounted in said slot and engagingsaid lock member to press the same against said bolt.

3. A nut lock comprising a bolt having a threaded end and provided witha groove, a nut adapted to engage said threaded end, said nut beingprovided with a slot in one of its faces, a bore extending from saidslot to the central opening of the nut, a second bore extending-fromsaid slot to a second face of said nut, a lock member movably mounted insaid bores and in said slot, one end of said lock member adapted toengage the groove of said bolt, the other end of said lock memberprojecting from said second face of the bolt, and means in said slot foryieldingly pressing said lock member against said bolt.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

STEVEN BENJAMIN CELINE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. 0."

